The dawn of Thursday, February 29, was marked by tragedy Gaza Strip, where scores of civilians hoping for humanitarian aid fell victim to an attack that shocked the international community. Some 112 Palestinians died and more than 760 They were injured after the Israeli army fired a series of shots at the people.
Testimony and reports from organizations suggested there were moments of chaos and desperation as hundreds struggled to survive. “I am one of the wounded. We stood there to get food for our children (…). But we paid for this help with our blood,” a witness told AFP.
Image from a video released by the Israeli army showing Gazans near aid trucks. Photo: AFP
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What did the attack on more than 100 Palestinians look like?
In the early hours of last Thursday, a crowd of Palestinians waited on Al-Rashid Street, west of Gaza, for a convoy of 32 trucks carrying humanitarian aid. However, Israeli forces opened fire on the crowd, an act viewed as an attack by the Gaza Strip government under Hamas control “Intentional and deliberate attack.”in connection with the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the population of the Gaza Strip.”
Israeli authorities, for their part, have acknowledged their involvement in the incident, arguing that they were forced to act in response to what they describe as “armed provocations by the crowd.” They also assured that the majority of deaths were due to an avalanche of people. However, this version is being questioned by witnesses and human rights organizations who claim that the majority of victims were unarmed civilians.
“It was a limited response with limited fire,” an Israeli army spokesman said.
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The international community rejects Israel's attack on Gaza
The deaths of more than 100 Palestinians in Gaza have drawn condemnation from the international community. Countries including France, Spain, Colombia and the United States expressed their displeasure and demanded Israel explain what they said was an unjustified attack.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also echoed these statements and condemned the deaths through his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.
“We don’t know exactly what happened. But if these people were killed by Israeli fire, if they were crushed by crowds or run over by trucks, these are in some way acts of violence linked to this conflict,” they explained.
The health ministry in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip said Israeli forces shot dead dozens of people. Photo: AFP
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Why is there a war in the Gaza Strip?
The conflict between Israel and Palestine, with Gaza as one of its epicenters, has deep historical roots fueled by territorial, religious and political disputes. The situation has been aggravated by blockades, military attacks and reprisals, which have led to a vicious cycle of violence affecting primarily the civilian population. The Gaza Strip, which has been controlled by Hamas since 2007, has been the scene of numerous armed conflicts with devastating humanitarian consequences.